National Grid initiative aims to support Mass. customers during high-cost winter months

Published on October 06, 2022 by Kim Riley

National Grid is helping its Massachusetts customers tackle the rising costs of electricity and heating this winter via the company’s Winter Customer Savings Initiative. 

“We want to do everything we can to help our customers manage through the months ahead…, while maintaining high levels of service to meet their energy needs this winter season,” said Helen Burt, chief customer officer for National Grid, the electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through networks in New York and Massachusetts.

Rising energy prices, largely attributable to the war in Ukraine — where Western-imposed sanctions on Russia have prompted the country to cut off its supply of natural gas, in turn limiting the global supply and increasing demand and prices — are heaping more financial constraints upon customers already struggling to deal with inflation.

“We have been monitoring for several months the impacts that global conflicts, inflation and high demand have had on energy costs,” Michael Dalo, National Grid’s senior program manager for communications in Massachusetts, told Daily Energy Insider. “As costs continued to rise, we wanted to do our part to assist customers and took actions to launch the Winter Customer Savings Initiative.”

Dalo said the initiative was created to help customers reduce their energy usage, save money, better manage their bills, and secure available energy assistance, and it brings together and expands upon National Grid’s other numerous customer resources, such as payment assistance programs for income-eligible customers, residential and business energy efficiency programs and incentives, low-cost and no-cost bill management solutions, and flexible payment programs.

“We’re in the midst of challenging times and no one likes higher utility bills,” Dalo said. “We recognize that customers rely on us to provide the energy we provide every day and it’s our responsibility to keep bills as low as possible.”

Specifically, the Winter Customer Savings Initiative is an effort by National Grid to inform its Massachusetts customers about what is offered in three major categories: 

1. Energy bill management: National Grid offers options for customers to spread out their annual energy costs across 12 balanced payments, find discounted rates, have more time to pay bills, and search a list to shop for an area competitive supplier.
2. Energy use control: To help manage costs at any income level, National Grid offers customers energy-efficient products to help them conserve energy through easy energy-saving tips, free home energy assessments, and energy-saving programs. ConnectedSolutions, for instance, is a program that works with connected devices to help homeowners and small business owners reduce their electric use during periods of high energy demand.
3. Bill assistance: National Grid offers several payment assistance programs and a Consumer Advocacy Team to provide related support and guidance. For example, the utility’s Forgiveness Program, also known as the Arrears Management Program, is available to customers on income-eligible discount rates who have a balance of at least $300 that is more than 60 days past due. If an account is still active, no down payment is required; and if service has been shut off for non-payment, a down payment on the balance due would be required. Then, a customer may start a payment plan, and National Grid will determine the monthly bill amount based on the average energy usage. If payments are made on time, part of the past due amount may be forgiven (up to a maximum of $12,000 per year).

“We believe helping customers take more control over how and what energy they use creates a more equitable and affordable energy future,” Burt said in a statement.

Additionally, according to Dalo, National Grid offers several bill help and payment assistance options that customers may utilize to manage their energy bills. For example, qualifying income-eligible customers may be eligible for programs such as the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), the Massachusetts Good Neighbor Fund, discounts on electric rates, and more. 

“Along with this, National Grid is hosting a series of Customer Energy Savings Events where customers can meet with assistance program experts and connect with the resources their family needs, all under one roof, all in one day,” he said.

These events are aimed at raising awareness about the choices and options National Grid customers have to reduce and manage their energy costs. Company representatives are headed into communities to meet customers and provide a “one-stop-shop” for them to sign up for money-saving programs, enroll in energy assistance, and learn about their available options.

“We know winter isn’t far away, so we’re encouraging and making it easier for our customers to take action now and letting them know that we are here to help,” said Burt. 

And with prices for natural gas, which drive electricity costs, significantly higher this winter due to global conflict, inflation and high demand, Burt pointed out that electricity rates for National Grid customers that take basic service will increase starting Nov. 1. 

In total, the monthly bill of a typical residential electric customer using 600 kWh will increase from $179 in the winter 2021-2022 season, to approximately $293 for the winter 2022-2023 season, or a 64 percent increase, according to the company. 

“The entirety of the increase customers can expect in their electric bill is due to the increase in electric supply costs,” Dalo explained. “National Grid buys electricity on the competitive market and passes those costs directly through to customers, with no markup, so customers pay what we pay.”

“We understand how hard this is going to be for many of our customers. Higher energy rates will place an increased financial burden on our customers and communities at a time when other goods and services are already going up,” he added. “We get it and we are here to help.”

National Grid plans to help minimize bill impacts this winter season by keeping the delivery portion of the bill essentially flat, said Burt, who explained that this is the portion of the bill that pays for the infrastructure to safely and reliably deliver electricity to the utility’s 1.3 million customers.

“Today, under a sustained, high market price environment, it is challenging to maintain affordable prices,” she said. “Given that, we think it’s a good time to work with our regulators and other stakeholders to review the process and electricity supply dynamics in the region, with an eye toward reducing price volatility and maintaining a secure, reliable and resilient energy system for the future.”